Delhi man creates fake social media profile of ex-colleague, uses morphed obscene pics for ‘revenge’

Police said that the accused confessed to the crime during interrogation, adding that the device used to morph the photographs was also recovered.

A 27-year-old man in Delhi was arrested for allegedly creating a fake social media profile using morphed, obscene images of his former female colleague, and posting her contact information, an official said on Thursday.

A case under the Information Technology Act has been registered against the accused. (Representative Image/iStockphoto)

The accused, identified as Divanshu, works as a bartender at a restaurant in Subhash Place, where the complainant was also working as a waitress, a news agency PTI report said.

The two had become 'friends'. However, it later turned sour and led to a break up, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Sachin Sharma said that after the complainant ended the "friendship" and the accused got fired from the job in December 2024, Divanshu sought revenge by creating a fake social media account in her name.

"He posted morphed objectionable images along with her mobile number, causing her distress and violating her privacy," Sharma added.

On March 11, a complaint in this regard was reportedly lodged at the Cyber Police Station of Outer District, following which a case was registered under the Information Technology Act.

Police said that the with the help of IP address and analysis of call detail records, along with digital surveillance, the team tracked down the suspect and conducted a raid. This resulted in Divanshu's arrest, they added.

The official said that the accused confessed to have committed the crime during interrogation, adding that "the electronic device used to morph the photographs and operate the fake account was recovered from his possession".

With the help of the information the accused knew about the complainant's personal life, which he gained during their brief friendship, he targeted and defamed her online.

Police officials said that further investigation into the matter is underway.

Delhi Police precautions against cyber crime

The Delhi Police has enlisted a set of preventive measures that netizens can take to prevent cyber crimes. It flagged how fake profiles often spam legitimate users, post inappropriate or illegal content.

The Delhi Police listed 10 precautions against it:

1. Block profiles from public searches.

2. Restrict who can find you via online search.

3. Limit what people can learn about you through searching on net.

4. Log out after each session.

5. Don’t share social media credentials.

6. Don’t accept friend requests from unknowns.

7. Don’t click suspicious links.

8. Keep the privacy settings of your social media profile at the most restricted levels, esp. for public/others

9. Remember that information scattered over multiple posts, photographs, status, comments etc. may together reveal enough about you to enable a fraudster to steal your identity and defraud you. So, apply maximum caution while sharing anything online.